10 Tips for Working at Home Productively

I love working at home. It’s the best of both worlds. It lets me be available for my family when they need me while allowing me to contribute to the family income. While there are many benefits to working at home, there are also a few challenges. Working at home productively is one of the challenges I deal with the most.

10 Tips for Working at Home Productively

I love my family. I really do. But, they can be a big distraction when I’m trying to work at home. As a Mom of teenagers, I’m not dealing with babies crying, diapers that need changing or feeding demands. When my kids *need* me, it’s generally for something that’s not urgent. Urgent needs to be taken care of immediately. Not urgent can wait until I take a scheduled break. Here are a few tips for working at home productively that allow me to make the most of my time.

Make yourself one area to work in. It’s easy to forget you’re working when you’re curled up on the couch with your laptop in front of the television. Sitting at a desk in front of the computer will make you feel more like you’re at work.

Get dressed and “made up” for the day just like if you left for a job outside of the home. It’s hard to feel productive in your pajamas and fuzzy slippers. I’m not saying you need to wear a business suit to work at home but try to adopt a business casual appearance. You’ll feel more productive.

Pick times to work when you’ll have a larger block of time available. It’s easier to be productive in 3 hours than it is in 20 minutes.

Schedule times to be inspired. Sometimes I get stuck. Seeing the same four walls 24/7 can stifle creativity. When that happens, I take a walk or a drive around town to clear my head.

Cut down on online distractions. I find myself wasting too much time on Facebook if I leave the tab open all day. Set certain times during the day to do things like check emails and interact on social media.

When you’re really behind on schedule, turn off notifications that may distract you like the phone, chat notifications and text messaging.

Make a list and stay focused. Make a list of what needs to be done that day and stay focused on the list until it’s finished. Writing things down somehow makes them more necessary than keeping a list in your head, at least to me.

Make sure that your family understands that when you’re at your desk, you’re not available unless it’s an emergency. This isn’t possible for babies and toddlers but older children and husbands can certainly understand this.

Take time for you. Eat regular meals, drink plenty of water and take a 10 minute break for each hour you work. You don’t have to do anything specific. Just get up from the desk. Walk around. Have a snack. Clear your head and you’ll be fresh to start again.

Don’t work 24/7. It’s tempting to work all the time when you work at home but be certain to choose work hours and try to limit things like checking emails when you’re not at work.

Working at home can be a wonderful opportunity and following these tips for working at home productively will help you make the most of that time.

Do you have any tips I’ve forgotten?

Dont Be Shy, Dare to Share!72000000

About Ellen Christian

Ellen is a busy mom of two adult children. She owns and manages five blogs and is addicted to social media. Ellen is the Editorial Manager and Campaign Manager for The Brand Connection.